Retired assistant commandant of region north of the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF), Rankin Clarke rose from humble beginnings to establish himself as a policeman with exemplary moral and social skills.
After giving over 37 years to the ISCF, he continues to give of himself to his community of Brown’s Town as a justice of the peace since 2008 and also as bishop of the Claremont Apostolic Ark Pentecostal Church in Claremont, St Ann. He also founded the ISCF Region North past members association and serves as its president.
Throughout his 73 years on earth, one of his philosophies has always been “honesty is the best policy.” This along with his Christian faith helped him throughout his over three decades in the ISCF.
“I still maintain that if we had more Christians in the (police) force we would have a better force today… And as a Christian, it helped me to stand up. I know I had a family and my church and my integrity was number one,” Mr Clarke told the North Coast Times in an interview.
EARLY BEGINNINGS
Rankin Clarke was born on July 23, 1944 to Ruben Clarke and Ivy Bennett in Cross Roads, Kingston. His parents were from the Chester/Spicy Grove area in St Ann, but his mother was marooned by a storm in Kingston due to her visiting his father, who was working there. She could not return to St Ann for his birth.
Six months after his birth, young Rankin returned to Chester/Spicy Grove, where he lived with his grandmother Adiana Wright.
In 1952, his father, who was a preacher and member of the ISCF, bought a property in the New Ground area of Lime Hall and he went to live with him as by this time his parents had split.
He attended the Lime Hall Elementary School and for one year, the Mount Zion Primary School. Church was also an integral part of his life as he attended the New Ground United Pentecostal Church and the St Ann’s Bay United Pentecostal Church. He baptized at the latter when he was only 13.
Mr Clarke pointed out that “as youngsters, we had to honor and respect the seniors.”
JOINING THE ISCF
After leaving school, Mr Clarke did tailoring, but he did not like it and on April 6, 1967 he did the test for the ISCF in St Ann’s Bay and was successful.
“My father was a member of the ISCF and my uncle, and I was fascinated with the uniform. I also loved to watch the marching parades and that development in me, caused me to join the ISCF,” Mr Clarke explained.
The Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF) was the first reserve to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) until both forces got the green light to merge in 2014. The ISCF members supplemented the regular force in several facets of policing including election duties, securing public events and rallies and patrolling.
CLIMBING IN THE FORCE
Mr Clarke explained that after four weeks of basic training, he was “posted at the St Ann’s Bay Constabulary Station” as a special constable.
He said that in his initial stages his functions included station guard duties, patrolling several areas, court duties, parade duties and other extra duties he was called on to do.
“I was privileged to be exposed to different areas of policing and I was promoted after one year and nine months to the rank of special corporal and with other training in Kingston and my passion for the duty, I was then promoted after another year and ten months to the rank of special sergeant,” Mr Clarke revealed.
In no time, other promotions steadily continued for Rankin Clarke. He became: special inspector in April of 1972; assistant commander in September of 1984 and commander in charge of the St Ann division of the ISCF in June of 1989.
Mr Clarke revealed that in 2002, he was asked by the then commandant of the ISCF, Osmond Bromfield to act as assistant commandant for rural north, which comprised Hanover, St James, Trelawny, St Ann, St Mary, Portland and St Thomas.
In 2003, he was promoted to assistant commandant in charge of rural north. Mr Clarke served in that position until his retirement on July 23, 2004.
ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE ISCF
Mr Clarke’s outstanding performance in the ISCF was rewarded in October 1991 when he received a meritorious award from the Governor General at the time, Sir Howard Cooke.
“My performance (in the ISCF) was one not on my strength, not in the weapon, but the Lord had been with me and because of my overall deportment and the commitment to the people of St Ann, especially St Ann’s Bay where I served, I had gained the respect that on several occasions where we had demonstrations, the situation was defused,” he recollected.
Mr Clarke also recalls in his early policing years, how he assisted in bringing in a wanted man in St Ann’s Bay to the police station, who had several warrants out for him.
Mr Clarke said because of the man’s violent temperament several police officers did not want to face him, but Mr Clarke did face the man on Main street in St Ann’s Bay.
“I was inviting him to come to the station with me. He was about two and a half times of my size and I never forget when I said it, he ground his teeth and stare on me. I simply said to him in a gentle way, ‘You don’t trouble me and I don’t trouble you,’ but it is a matter with you and the state…It took approximately 45 minutes from the clock in St Ann’s Bay to reach the police station (about 200 yards). He had stopped and hesitated and with patience he went in (the station). I executed the warrants and that was a man they said had seven-man strength… That was one of my first achievements,” he disclosed.
Mr Clarke said that the wanted man was released from prison after about 15 years. After he returned, he came back to St Ann’s Bay and if the man wanted anything, Mr Clarke said the man would come to him.
Mr Clarke also recalled in 1993, when he assisted in ensuring the safe release of a special constable and a detective constable, who were both taken hostage by prisoners at the St Ann’s Bay lockup.
He also pointed out that in some instances after the trials of persons, he had arrested, he would pay their fines, because some of them could not pay. He was also actively involved in community policing, sports club and neighbourhood watch. In the past too, through the mediation efforts of Mr Clarke into a domestic dispute and threats issued, a wedding took place following his intervention.
Additionally, Mr Clarke served as a member on the board of the St Ann JAMAL committee representing the police.
RESPECT PEOPLE
With his 37 years and four months in the ISCF, Mr Clarke noted that being in the church did not affect his work in the force, but rather it helped him.
“The fact is honesty is the best of policy and the scripture said ‘trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding’ and as a Christian the Lord helped me even in some conflicts…” Mr Clarke said
He said too that if more police were Christians it would not only make the force a better force today, but it could minimize corruption.
“If you have to lie on an individual to make a case your conscience should, if it is alive, give you problem,” Mr Clarke said.
He posited that the police should develop a rapport with the community and display commitment, honesty and respect to the people.
“They (the police officers) are in a position to educate and to help and if we have more policemen and women today demonstrating the type of respect to our brothers and sisters, we would have less crime today. And understand me right, criminals are out there, indiscipline is out there and today, they look at the uniform and as the uniform move and the (police) vehicles move, they continue to do what they are doing,” Mr Clarke argued.
He contends that if the country could get back the discipline, the type of parenting and the schooling of the 1960s and the 1970S, “we could have a better Jamaica today.”
LIFE IN THE CHURCH
Another important aspect of Mr Clarke’s life was religion. Being baptized from 13, his spiritual life developed between the New Ground United Pentecostal Church and the St Ann’s Bay United Pentecostal Church.
In 1964, he went to his aunt’s church, the Belfield Apostolic Church and Mr Clarke lived in the Belfield/Runaway Bay area.
In 1971, he married Norma Johnston and together, they have five children; Andrene, Ranklyn, Karale, Kadine and Shauna. He later moved to Orange Street in Brown’s Town, where he resides today. He considers himself as a strong, family oriented person.
Mr Clarke’s four daughters have all attended the St Hilda’s High School and he has served for three years as assistant president and four years as president of the school’s parent teachers’ association (PTA).
Mr Clarke then became a member of the Apostolic Ark Pentecostal Church of Jamaica International on 27 Huntley Avenue in Brown’s Town, headed by Apostle Geoffrey W. Johnson.
Mr Clarke remained active in the church and in 1973, he was ordained as evangelist by Apostle Johnson. Mr Clarke and another man, elder James Simms began working out of the Knapdale Apostolic Ark Pentecostal Church.
Then in 1981, Apostle Johnson started another ministry in Claremont and he subsequently ordained Mr Clarke as an elder and posted him as pastor for that church.
Mr Clarke was later ordained as the bishop of the Claremont Apostolic Ark Pentecostal Church in August of 2006. He is the missionary director for the Apostolic Ark Pentecostal Church in Brown’s Town.
He has also been to India, where he preached in 2000 to 2001.
SERVICE CONTINUES
Though his days as an assistant commandant in the ISCF are long gone, Rankin Clarke continues to give of himself to his country. He was appointed a justice of the peace (JP) in 2008, where he serves in the Brown’s Town Petty Sessions Court and the Children’s Court.
He has been awarded for his exceptional service to the North West justice of the peace association.
Mr Clarke also serves as chairman of the Claremont Apostolic Ark Basic School. He remains also actively involved as president and founder of the ISCF region north past members who meet every fourth Thursday at the St Ann’s Bay police headquarters.
Rankin Clarke’s philosophies are simple. “Honesty is the best policy. Your integrity cannot be bought and I go with Solomon, ‘trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
This is definitely how Rankin Clarke continues to live his entire life.
